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The Overture
The Overture Released: 2011 Directed By:Shane C. Drake Songs Featured: "The Ballad of Mona Lisa"; "Let's Kill Tonight"; "Hurricane"; "Ready to Go"; "Nearly Witches" https://www.youtube.com/user/mckennaray2001 Artist: Panic! At The Disco The Overture is a 2011 five-minute short film that served as a promotional piece for Panic! At The Disco's upcoming album at the time, Vices and Virtues. http://www.mtv.com/news/1660351/panic-at-the-disco-overture-movie-vices-and-virtues/. According to MTV's website (the article can be found through the previous link) the film represents the things the band had to overcome to be where they were. At the time, vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith were the only remaining members of Panic! At The Disco. Guitarist Ryan Ross and Bassist Jon Walker had left in 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/1615771/exclusive-ryan-ross-talks-about-leaving-panic-at-the-disco/ MTV states: ''''"'What fans may not know is the message behind “The Overture,” the mini-movie teaser the band posted earlier this month. Opening with a scene of frontman Brendon Urie telling two shadowy specters — who most assume represent Ross and Walker — “I’m gonna miss you guys … looks like we’re going to have to part ways” and featuring Panic! and a host of fantastical characters embarking on a journey (to points unknown), most seem to assume the clip represents the band putting their past to bed and heading out into the future. 'And while those assumptions are (in part) correct, the way Urie and drummer Spencer Smith see it, “The '''Overture”''' (and, really, most of Vices & Virtues) is about something else entirely: the obstacles they overcame just to make it to this point."'' '' Plot As the video begins, Brendon Urie, who is wearing a dark brown-black suit jacket and a patterned bowtie, stands at a bar. The instrumental of "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" plays in the background. He and the bartender, who is cleaning behind the counter, currently appear to be the only ones within the pub. "I never dreamed it would come to this," Urie says. "I'm going to miss you guys. Looks like we're going to have to part ways." As the shot changes, two indistinguishable figures come into view, translucent and hidden by a cloud of black smoke. They stand on either side of Urie and reply to his statements, although what they say is difficult to determine. Urie and the bartender toast with their drink bottles. Urie states that it's time for him to leave, and the bartender informs him that his drink is "on the house." Urie tells the bartender that he is "really going miss this place," to which the bartender replies, "This place is going to miss you." As Urie takes his bag, which has been sitting on the floor for the length of the film so far, the Bartender (who we learn is named Joe) warns him not to get overly discouraged if his endeavors do not go according to plan. Urie acknowledges this and leaves the pub. Once outside, "Let's Kill Tonight" from Vices and Virtues begins playing. Urie walks around the side of the pub and reappears walking through a stone archway. He walks down several steps that reside under an covered area, which is surrounded by two stone walls jutting out from the stone arch threshold. As Brendon navigates his way around the stone buildings, he stops in front of one particular building and whistles a loud cue. A young girl wearing a curled white wig appears in the window above Urie. "Is it time yet?" the girl inquires excitedly. Urie cheerfully informs her that it is. A woman wearing a taller white wig with stringed pearls comes to the window as well and tells him that she and the girl will be "right down." Urie then hurries off to the next destination. Walking at a purposeful pace down the cobblestone streets, Urie comes to a flight of stairs against another building. About halfway up these stairs, he knocks on the side of the building. Immediately, two men- obviously twin brothers- wearing matching striped shirts thrust open their windows in unison. "Time to go!" Brendon says. Fretful, the twins tell him that they are at loss for what to bring. They wish to bring all of their clothes and all of their photo albums, but cannot bring all of both. However, one brother says he does not want to forget his memories, and the other inquires what will happen if it rains and he does not have a jacket. "We're not coming back, are we?" cries one. "So if we don't take it with us with us now, we gotta leave it behind?" asks the other. Urie stops the two brothers in their frenzy and gives them the advice to "Just take what's important." The brothers both exclaim, "It's all important!" Shaking his head, Urie descends the stairs. The twins are still worried and shut their windows. Urie moves on. Across the street is a home with a number twenty-seven on the door. This door is already slightly ajar as Urie knocks on it. A small boy wearing suspenders, a thin blue scarf and a colorful beaded eye patch comes to the entrance. The boys asks if it is time, to which Urie replies, "Sure is, buddy." At this time a large, bald man with a mustache explains that he and the boy will be right out. Though he seems loud and intimidating, it seems this is simply his nature and he means nothing by it. He has a very deep voice and wears a long half-black, half-brightly patterned coat. Urie then approaches a low, dusty window in yet another area of the town and raps his knuckles against it. Inside the house, Spencer Smith is packing his bags. Urie tells Smith through the window that the weather is "doing the back and forth again." Smith replies: "Really? Alight." He grabs his suitcase and leaves the room. Back on the street, Urie continues on to an alley where we find a older man practicing with a punching bag. He is built like a boxer, which is clearly his interest. Urie tells him that it's time to leave. "Okay," the boxer replies. "One more set, and I'll be there." Urie leaves, and the boxer returns to his punching bag. The next place Urie arrives at is a pale brick building. He stands before a plain black door that hangs open. A light with a red bulb in it is placed above the door. Urie ducks his head and enters. By now, the music has switched from "Let's Kill Tonight" to "Hurricane." Inside the building is a young woman in a ballerina's outfit and a purple scarf, both of which are tattered. Her wrists are cuffed, keeping her chained to the ceiling. "You came," she says. "Time to go," Urie tells her. He asks the woman how to get her out of the chains. He learns he must use the key- specifically, the hanging key. However, many keys are hanging above them. When he finds the correct key, he unlocks the cuffs. The woman thanks him, and they dance. At first, the two dance beautifully together. However, eventually the woman turns around, and when she face Urie again she is furious. She dances faster and leaps. Grabbing Urie by the shoulder, she screams, "Look at me!" The song "Hurricane" has been replaced by frantic instrumentals. Suddenly, Spencer Smith appears at the window and yells Urie's name. "Stop it!" the ballerina woman shrieks, taking Urie by the chin and knocking him down in the process. When he falls, she grabs at his legs and feet to pull him into the room; Smith is pulling Urie to the window (the escape.) "You got to let her go!" Smith cries. "I can't leave her here, I have to save her!" Urie protests. Smith exclaims that Urie must save himself. "Look! She's already chained up again!" he tells Urie. Indeed, the ballerina is once again chained down, this time by her ankles. Finally, Urie escapes the building. "Your heart was in the right place, man," Smith tells him. "There's nothing you could have done for her." Then Smith cheers up, and "Ready to Go" begins playing. "C'mon. It's time to go," he says. As "Ready to Go" escalates, various characters we encountered prior to Urie's attempt to save the ballerina are shown leaving their homes with their luggage. Along with them are some new characters not previously introduced: a man in a bowler hat and woman clutching (who are both distinctly short) , and a woman in a blue dress and sporting tattoos on her arm (as well a man in glasses who presumably lives with her.) As the characters walk down the street, they discuss how excited they are to leave. "Oh, this is so exciting!" the short woman tells her husband, who replies, "I can't wait to get there!" The brothers say that they "Can't wait to leave here." The woman in the blue dress states that "It's going to be so much better there." Urie and Smith lead the precession through the town. On their journey, the group faces several obstacles. The first the encounter is a street blocked off with yellow caution tape. "Nearly Witches" begins playing. As the characters gaze at the tape with worried expressions, Urie tells them: "Guys. It's okay. We're going to get through this." He and Smith then step forward and tear apart the tape so the party is able to pass through. Shortly after, however, they come to a mass of caution signs and a barbed wire that blocks their path. "Still okay," Urie announces, and he pulls the barbed wire up so they may continue on. The boxer is the last to approach the wire, and he takes it so that he and Urie can pass through. The music switches from "Nearly Witches" to a suspenseful instrumental, and the travelers discover that they are faced with another blockade- three police officers. Behind the officers is a raging fire. "We're never going to make it through with all this stuff," Smith says to Urie. The two drop their luggage, and the short man in the bowler hat drops his suitcase and globe. However, the other characters aren't willing to do the same. "I can't let go," says the woman in the blue dress. "It's easy, just drop it," Urie assures her kindly. "I can't," she insists. She leaves. "I can't do it either," the man in glasses says. He leaves. The boxer and the twin brothers leave as well. The man with the mustache and long coat simply says, "I can't do it," and leaves with the small boy wearing the eye patch. The short woman with flowers shakes her head and leaves. The short man in the hat picks up his luggage and follows her, but before disappearing he turns around and says, "I can't leave her here all alone." He leaves. "You can't save them," Smith tells Urie. "They have to save themselves." "I guess it's just us, then," Urie says. "It always has been," Smith replies. Urie nods, and the two head walk forwards, through the still police officers and into the crackling fire. The faces of children shimmer in the flames, singing to "Nearly Witches," which has returned. Brendon and Spencer fade into the fire, and the film ends. Symbolism and Metaphors It's clear that the film, as stated by MTV, deals with change and struggles one must over come. However, a Youtube member (Too Many Things-https://www.youtube.com/user/Antwarrior45) put it in insightful detail: ' Too Many Things 4 months ago As people seemed to not know what the vid was really about, here is what I think the characters/imagery/story/etc represent. Overall, the video is about the split of Ryan Ross and Jon somebody from Panic!, leaving Brendon and Spencer to continue. Written in note form Shadows – Jon and Ryan Barman – manager/Brendon’s conscious (trying to reassure self that it's right to continue) Rain = the day they split/currently going through at time of video being made (sad, darkness, bleak) Sunshine = remembering the past/nostalgia French Royalties/Dandy mother and child – Panic! Growing up throughout years, but still dressing up in the fancy costumes. Earliest stages of career, excited to start Dumb and Dumber – The change of genre (A fever to Pretty. Odd.). Memories of the past for Panic! (photos), as well as style (clothes). Brendon wants to pick out best/most important bits of that album and carry it on – changing and evolving music, the others can’t/wont Little kid and father – the family of Panic! Looks a little like Ballad (Ryan helped?), little like mini Panic! From Green Gentlemen video. Again with the clothes and costumes “The weather’s doing the back and forth, we gotta go” – indecision, doubts in the band, where to go next. “One more set, and I’ll be there” – withholding change, just one more gig Dancer girl – Creativity. Brendon sets it free, dances with it, creativity is his. But then she turns (creative control fights with Ryan Ross). Eventually Brendon plays the bigger man, and leaves Ryan’s toxic creative force to save Brendon’s own creative ideas (represented with life). Can’t help Ryan tho, has to leave behind, as he wont stop. The cycle/fight would go on and on otherwise (She’s already chained up again) Brendon and Spencer leave together, but still hold onto past (people coming with them). Have hopes to continue, however battles between Ryan/Jon and Brendon/Spencer continue, plus doubts over success without them, etc Alternative rockabilly girl – another Panic! Genre Short people – excitement for future? They are dressed in Vice and Virtues-style costumes? Likely as band started work on this album before/during split Pretty Odd guys excited to leave that genre (least successful album) Blockages in the way. Brendon and Spencer keep going despite difficulties and warning signs of difficulties/problems, in career and new album Final scary blockage. Have to let go of past, but other band members can’t, and have to leave. Or signifies, Brendon and Spencer letting go of the actual people, who represent past. Short man wants to continue, but his wife wont (difficulties in making the album during split if the couple do represent V & V) Brendon and Spencer find strength together, past the barricade, but into the flames (will they survive – will they be successful?) This is just my personal opinion, there could be many variations, plus the metaphors could be based of just personal things that happened among the band that is not publicly known, therefore there is no real way of telling what the metaphors stand for etc. '''